Soccer: Galaxy mired in mediocrity

Landon Donovan's omission from the MLS All-Star Game roster announced Monday symbolizes the Galaxy's season of frustrating mediocrity.

It's the first time Donovan has missed the stage for the league's best players, set this year for July 31 against Italian club AS Roma, the team U.S. international Michael Bradley plays for.

You could argue missing a relatively meaningless game in Kansas City is a blessing in disguise for a 31-year-old player who missed the start of the season, citing burnout, and will return from the grueling Gold Cup shortly before the All-Star game anyway.

But the absence of the club's most influential player is also an indirect indictment of the Galaxy's faltering season.

This is a team with issues to solve in every sector of the field.

The once rock-solid defense that has long proven the cornerstone of the defending MLS Cup champions is suffering a serious crisis of confidence, especially at junctures in games that count most.

The stoppage-time goal the Galaxy gave up Saturday in Portland was the 15th allowed in the final 15 minutes of games this season. Their record when that occurs: 1-7-2.

It's shortsighted to solely blame the back line, though.

Scoring goals has become a challenge for the club since leading scorer Mike Magee was allowed to depart May 25 for Chicago after scoring six goals in 10 MLS games.The Galaxy promptly lost all but one game in June and have now slumped to the fifth and final Western Conference playoff spot with 14 games remaining.The Fire, meanwhile, saw Magee add five goals in seven MLS games to that haul so far and have lost just once since he joined the club.

The Galaxy's season is a litany of squandered games and lost points, beginning in the second game of the season against Chivas USA, when an 89th-minute equalizer forced L.A. to settle for a 1-1 tie against their local rival.

Another three points vanished April 13 against FC Dallas when the visitors scored the game's lone goal in the 87th minute. It occurred again May 19 against New York, when Tim Cahill struck a second-half stoppage time winner. Worst of all, San Jose scored not one, but two second-half stoppage time goals in two minutes in a dramatic June 29 come-from-behind win.

You get the idea.

"We're in a great position and doing just fine up to 82 and 83 minutes," Donovan said. "We've got to change things. There's no question. The status quo isn't cutting it."

But he was quoted as saying that in mid-June, and if anything things have gotten worse rather than better.

And Magee?

He was named Monday to the MLS All-Star team.

U.S. SEEKS TO SEND MESSAGE

Donovan and the U.S. have a job to do in today's Gold Cup group finale against Costa Rica, where first place in the group is at stake (live at 5 p.m. on Fox Soccer and UniMas).

Costa Rica is unbeaten in its last seven games and hasn't given up a goal in more than 700 minutes. The U.S., meanwhile, has tied a seven-game winning streak and wants to send its World Cup rivals a message, said coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

"For us, it's a really good benchmark because we want to show them who is No. 1 in CONCACAF after this tournament," he said. "This is a team that we're going to fight for World Cup qualifying points in September and we want to send them a signal."

The U.S. only needs a tie to win Group C and face off against the third-place team in Group D in the quarterfinals.

ETC.

Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez and striker Robbie Keane were also named to the MLS All-Star team as expected. "? No Chivas USA players are on the roster, but former Goats coach Preki resurfaced Monday in Sacramento, where he will coach a third-tier minor league expansion franchise beginning in 2015.For more local soccer news, read the 100 Percent Soccer blog at insidesocal.com/soccer.